Finished my beautiful studio and now its SOLD

Last year was spent organising the shed  for my studio,it turned out really well but for some reason I just didn't feel creative there,too many other pressing responsibilities like fighting gorse..and the fear of fire..
But I wanted to put some pictures up to remind me what a fantastic spot it was.
I don't miss it,it was a great experience and privilege living in that beautiful spot but it was time to move on..

Exhibition pieces for Waimate Art Society 2017

Quirky Planters and fun things have to happen

Its all about trying to survive as a potter and I have decided that I need to make a few things for  bread and butter money..
Poverty is not a good thing and I am hoping that going to some local markets might help.so the journey begins..Quirky Planters, Mugs,Lidded pots Penguins..

Some latest work,unfired at this stage.....

The Dream Creates the Journey

Some images of moving house lol

Not been here for ages so about time to get my A into G

Shifting out of the Gallery 2015        12 1/2 Tonnes in this container ,road blocked off while they tried to shift it lol

Wondering why I stay being a potter REALLY

New place new start and then the fun really begins
No shed, a cantankerous neighbour who doesn't like containers even though he can not
see them from his house and keeps complaining to the council.
Anyway onward and upwards getting my shed built was the next challenge
Actually finding a place to put the shed was a juggling act in itself

Starting to get somewhere now but am waiting for the windows and doors

AND unloading the kilns with wonderful help from friends.Thanks Shane

Got garage doors but no windows yet but hey ho it will happen.

Pretty exciting stuff really, havent seen these kilns for two years,can hardly believe where the time has gone ! AND I should be proud of myself!!Girls can do anything lol

Wolves singing.... Patio Rock Pot.

 "Those who Dance are thought crazy by those who can not hear the music ! "

                                           

High fired stoneware,suitable outside for most climates.
Approximately 11 inches across and 5 inches high
in a grey/ white Calcium Matt glaze.

The Prairies..Acrylic on Board 51 cms x 34 cms

Fresh new spring growth in Knottingly Park

Gerri and I had a lovely wander around the 36 Hectares of Knottingly Park, we usually have a walk here every day and a good time to ponder my next project.

Finally finished Gerri Dog and now waiting for a firing,will be some months before I get myself organised with a shed and studio but going to be great fun when it happens.

Will be moving house in 7 weeks time, and will be unpacking the containers and saying hello to the new property and to all my possessions which have been packed away for 6 months..it will be an exciting moment and poignant moment. A new studio will have to be built so pottery and sculpture will have to carry on at the local club rooms where I am working at the moment on this first sculpture in ages,nearly finished
Gerri my Bullterrier friend
                                                             

The Blues..crocks and a big pot

This was one of my big pots, it filled the whole electric kiln,even had to take the bottom shelf out to fit it in. ..the fired height is 3 foot 6ins, had great fun making it with flat coils..will carry on with that method..

Here are some recent images of pots March 2013,haven't been around much due to family circumstances and done very little in my studio..need a big smack on my hand and a kick up the backside.

Native Bush,This one got second prize in our local show..Fired to Cone 9..with a slow cool..I was very lucky not to be scraping it off the shelf as there were a couple of drips right down to the shelf coating..EEK!

Then there were a couple of nice mugs that were sold quite quickly with my strawberry glaze and will repeat when I get the chance to be back in my studio..

It has been a long time since May 20 2012,the journey continues.

Haven't been here for awhile and feel the need to catch up..my search for Cone six glazes have been slightly abandoned due to the fact that it is quite hard to find an affordable(cheap in other words) terracotta coloured clay that will vitrify at that temperature.I have decided to move up to about Cone 8 and will do a test firing over the next couple of days..I loved the Hesselberth and Roy Glazes and have an order of mugs to fill,I can not quite bring myself to do that knowing that they might seep moisture..not a good look really.
I recently finished another of my PatioArt rock pots and because they will be outside that is another reason go to a higher temp,I would hate for them to crack in the frost.
Here is the latest edition
Gypsy Children

My latest nude Offspring

Well just finished this nude a couple of days ago,spent a very enjoyable week creating her.its made from BRT.its the first time I have used this amazing clay from Feeney /Walkers Australia.it is incredibly fast to build with.
BRT clay heres the link if any of you are interested
 

Rock Pots took 1st and 2nd in local show

Funny thing was the pot that got first place was put in as an after thought and the one that I thought that would do really well didn't get a look in
Here is my best pot Parthenon garden art and got nowhere :(

and second prize was a dear wee wild horses rock pot though small was quite a gem (SOLD)..and quite hard to get a good photo of it

and first prize I haven't taken a photo of yet !!!!

No wonder my mixture of Cones did not ring true

Recently I was given loads of old boxes of Orton  cones some were standard and some were large but all were the same size if that makes sense..but the numbers were printed differently..After firing..Cone 8  bent more than Cone 7 tho all were set at the same angle,I have been trying to get information about firing temps of older versus newer cones and came up with this..I would be interested to know if others have inherited older style cones and had the same problem.

"In 1996 Orton reformulated some of their cones, because they could no longer obtain the ingredients they had been using. Several mines closed that year. According to Orton, the newest cone formulas are more consistent the pre-1996 formulas.
Orton released the new cones on 10-28-96. Most of the changes were minor. Example: 05 became 3 deg. F. cooler.
Cones 6 & 7 had the biggest changes in temperature:
Cone 6 before 10-28-96: 2199 Cone 6 after 10-28-96: 2232
Cone 7 before 10-28-96: 2228 Cone 7 after 10-28-96: 2262

H & R Cone 6 - 7 Ox Bright Sky Blue,like our New Zealand sky

H&R GB1BRIGHT SKY BLUE C6 NZ

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cone 6     1201 deg.C. - Oxidation                          

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ferro 4108                               23.50

Feldspar GL/AP-240                20.80

Clay Ceram                              22.50

Talc Westalc 35                      11.70

Wollastonite                             11.00

Silica                                        10.50

Cobalt Carbonate                      1.00

Rutile                                        6.00

Red Iron Oxide                         0.50

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

                Seger       Weight%

KNO          0.209     4.93%

CaO           0.512     9.15%

MgO          0.279     3.58%

Al2O3        0.344     11.17%

B2O3         0.202     4.48%

SiO2          3.163     60.55%

TiO2          0.241     6.13%

K2O           0.078     2.35%

Na2O         0.130     2.58%

Al:Si            9.19     

Expan.        8.32     

ST           358.32   

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Clay Body                                MFW

Colour                      Sky Blue

Glaze Type                             

Opacity                    Opaque

Texture                    Glossy

Stability                   

Fit                            No Crazing

Last changed:         28/12/2011

Status                      Tested

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Comment:

lovely Glaze fits MFW well ,breaks nicelly blue where thick ,tan where thin

This Raspberry is awesome

H & R RASPBERRY CONE 6  NZ
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cone 6    1201 deg.C. - Oxidation      
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Whiting                             20.00
Nepheline Syenite 200               18.00
Ferro 3134                          14.00
OM-4 Ball Clay                      18.00
Silica                              30.00
Chrome Oxide                         0.20
Tin Oxide                            7.50
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

    Seger              Weight%
KNO      0.198     4.83%
CaO      0.795    16.06%
MgO      0.007     0.10%
Al2O3      0.280    10.29%
B2O3      0.146     3.67%
SiO2      2.992    64.80%
TiO2      0.008     0.24%
K2O      0.034     1.16%
Na2O      0.164     3.67%
Al:Si      10.68  
Expan.       9.53  
ST     354.95  
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Clay Body        MFW,N21,LF18
Colour        ChromeTin pink
Glaze Type      
Opacity        Semi Opaque
Texture        Semi-Gloss
Stability        No Movement
Fit        Dense Crazing
Last changed:    28/12/2011
Status        Tested
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Comment:
lovely colour but poor fit on MFW and N21 but no crazing on LF18

Licorice Glaze Hesselberth and Roy

H&R GBG 2 NZ  LICORICE

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cone 6     1201 deg.C. -                          

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ferro 4108                               30.90

Feldspar GL/AP-240                21.00

Clay Ceram                              17.50

Talc Westalc 35                       4.80

Whiting                                     4.80

Silica                                        21.00

Red Iron Oxide                         9.00

Cobalt Carbonate                      2.00

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

                Seger      

KNO          0.305    

CaO           0.550    

MgO          0.146    

Al2O3        0.386    

B2O3         0.335    

SiO2          4.116    

TiO2          0.008    

K2O           0.100    

Na2O         0.205    

Al:Si           10.65    

Expan.        8.94     

ST           340.81   

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Excellent fitting glaze.beautiful on the 3 bodies that I use though less black on LF18

H&R say that leaching is less than 0.02-0.07 and is about as good as it gets,I agree.

UN-Floating Blue my efforts,it snot as easy as you think

I am also keen to develop a floating blue which will work for me..
I did put in a couple of tests..but resulted in snot green and an almost floating blue

FLOTBLUEBRUNNERROY NZ C6 APPROX
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Cone 6 1201 deg.C. -
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Ferro 4108 40.72
Feldspar GL/AP-240 34.32
NZ China Clay 19.18
Magnesium Carb Light 1.82
Silica 3.93
Cobalt Carbonate 2.00
Red Iron Oxide 2.00
Rutile 3.75
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Seger
KNO 0.440
CaO 0.474
MgO 0.087
Al2O3 0.543
B2O3 0.436
SiO2 3.703
TiO2 0.182
K2O 0.161
Na2O 0.279
Al:Si 6.82
Expan. 10.63
ST 335.06
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Comment:
Rutile-3.75 up to 4. it says do a line blend we use 3.75 works for us!
Cindy Gatto & Mark Petrin
http://www.potters.org/subject90338.htm/